Strawberry Swing
by menz815
Summary: It's Bones' birthday and Booth has a surprise for her. Meant to be a one-shot, but it is getting lengthy, so it will be in two parts. B/B of course.
1. Part One

A/N: Like I said in the summary this was meant to be a one-shot, but it was getting long so I decided to split it into two parts. Plus, I wanted to a least post something for all the people who read My Very Dear Temperance and requested fluff. This started out being very lighthearted, but apparently I have issues with just pure fluff so it's a little deep. There will be a little bit of fluff in the next part, but I needed to set the story up in this first part.

Hope you enjoy!

Disclamer: Don't own Bones, but I sure wish I owned Booth. says while wiggling her eyebrows

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" Bones asked rather irritably. She had been fully prepared for a long, yet fulfilling day at work when she was met with a loud knock at the door around seven in the morning. Opening it, she was surprised to find Booth, a man she knew never rose before this hour, wholly armed with coffee and other breakfast supplies and dressed in his usual casual wear.

"You do know it's seven o'clock on a Wednesday, right?" Bones questioned.

"Yes, I do. Now will you please let me in before I drop all of this food?" Booth said as he stepped around her and placed everything on the kitchen counter.

"Why are you here?" Bones asked impatiently. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy Booth's company. She just had hoped she would be at work right now rather than playing along with Booth's shenanigans.

"Well, if I remember correctly, today is someone's birthday. I decided to make it a special one. I already called Cam. She knows you are taking the day off." Booth said defensively, knowing he was about to get an ear full.

"Why would you do that? You know I hate birthdays and I have so much to do at work!" Bones shouted exasperatedly.

"Look, we don't have a case right now and those bodies from limbo aren't going anywhere. Plus, you only say you hate birthdays because you haven't spent one with me." Booth said smugly, displaying his charm smile. He knew she couldn't resist the charm smile.

"Fine. But we have to do paperwork together on Sunday." She said fighting hard to maintain the irritated façade. She really couldn't resist that charm smile.

"I'll bring the Thai food!" Booth chuckled.

"So what do you have planned?" Bones inquired as she sat down and Booth began preparing several eggs and a few slices of bacon.

"It's a surprise Bones. A wonderful surprise." He said, grinning widely at Bones' skeptical look.

* * *

This was why a blindfolded Dr. Brennan was currently in the passenger seat of Booth's giant SUV, grumbling periodically. Booth could hardly help but laugh.

"I told you it was a surprise Bones. You wouldn't want to ruin the surprise now would you?" He teased.

"But we've been driving nearly two hours; if you don't give me a hint as to where we are going, I am going to rip this blindfold right off!"

"Okay, fine. We're in Virginia. And don't worry, we're almost there." Booth said lightly. His partner quieted down once again, allowing his mind to wander.

It had been nearly two years into his partnership with Bones when he had realized he was in love with her. There had always been an attraction there, and then gradually feelings, but he usually just chalked it up to the fact that they were constantly together and helped each other through the hard times. They were friends, close friends, but nothing more. Soon those feelings started to get to him, so he made up excuses, defense mechanisms, ways to separate what they had from their working relationship, excuses like the line. But then one day, it hit him. Maybe it was at Angela's wedding when he saw her stare at him with such emotion, her sparkling blue eyes glistening with tears, as he told her the reason her dad allowed himself to get arrested. He realized then that he would do anything to make her that happy again. He would risk everything. To him, the only name for that was love, and he no longer wanted to deny it.

Back then, he wasn't so sure if she loved him. But it increasingly became obvious to Booth that he was the one person in her life that she completely trusted and had opened up to since the disappearance of her family. And sometimes when they stared at each other, she could hardly hide the intensity that burned behind her brilliant orbs. He knew her well enough to know that she loved him. He just wasn't sure she knew herself well enough to admit it. Knowing Bones, Booth understood that she was going to need time to fully come to terms with her feelings. If he came on too strong, she would close herself off again. He couldn't do that, not to her and not to himself. He needed her and she needed him; they were a part of each other now. So he would take it slow, gradually inching closer to that line until together they would plunge off the edge.

Things had been going really great for them lately. It had been a rough couple of months for Bones, what with her father being released from prison, Booth getting shot, and Zack's betrayal. Booth assumed that she would close herself off, like she did during the two weeks he was dead, but surprisingly, she never wanted to leave Booth's side. She was like a lost two year old- she didn't want to be left alone, she didn't want to go to the lab, and she was always trying to get Booth to talk to her about anything but work. Booth figured it was because work reminded Bones of Zack; thus, by staying constantly by him, she never had time to think about anything else. Booth understood this, so he tried as hard as possible to keep her thoughts occupied. They were together every night for a month and oftentimes spent the night at each other's apartments just so they could be comforted by each other's presence. By the time Zack's replacement had been working at The Jeffersonian for two months, Bones was almost completely back to normal and Booth felt like they were closer than they had ever been, and because of that, they were considerably happy.

That was until two weeks ago. Lately Bones had been depressed. To some people, her mood would hardly be perceivable; but Booth knew her better than most, and there was definitely something eating her away under the surface. Concerned that she may once again be upset about Zack's absence, Booth tried to talk to her. But when he tried to get her to open up, she simply assured him that nothing serious was wrong with her and that she would back to being a pain in his ass soon. He laughed unconvincingly at her joke, hoping that she would escape her funk soon, but thankful that she was not shutting him out completely. Booth was glad to find that Bones was right, she was surely back to her irritable self today, but he was in far too good of a mood to be phased by it. After all, they were on their way to one of Booth's favorite places and he couldn't wait for Bones to see it.

* * *

What's wrong with Bones? Where is Booth taking her? Review and you will find out ;)


	2. Part Two

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I have been really sick for the past two days and just haven't been up to writing. This story was inspired by the song Strawberry Swing by Coldplay and the last line of the story (the part in italics) is lyrics from that song.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or the song Strawberry Swing by Coldplay. But look what happened when I mixed the two!

* * *

"Okay. We're here Bones." Booth said as he brought the car to a stop.

"Thank God!" Bones said touchily as she reached up for her blindfold.

"No Bones! You can't take your blindfold off yet!" Booth shouted, taking her hands away from her face but not bothering to let go. That was the strange thing with her lately; she didn't shy away from his contact anymore. In fact, sometimes he thought she welcomed it. Not that he was complaining. If one good thing had come out of all the horrible events that had happened in the last couple of months, it was Bones' new embrace for matters of the heart.

"We still have a short walk." He said soothingly.

"And I am sure God is glad to hear your thanks Bones!" He added sarcastically, trying to distract her from ripping off the blindfold by goading her into an argument.

She was too overcome to come up with a snarky reply. They were walking now and Booth not only had his hand on the small of her back, guiding her, but he had one of her hands wrapped firmly in his grasp, and he was tenderly stroking it with his thumb. For once, Bones was glad for the blindfold, for this simple act of tenderness was bringing her to tears.

Booth was unsure about why she hadn't taken the bait. If he could see her eyes, he would know for certain; looking into her eyes was like looking into the depths of her soul. He assumed she was most likely angry with him and thus was denying him the pleasure of their lighthearted bickering. That was fine with him; he knew she wouldn't be angry for long.

They walked in silence for five minutes, barely conscious of anything but their hold on each other. Booth was surprised she hadn't let go; Bones hoped he never would.

When they finally stopped, Booth reluctantly tore his hand from her warm skin, leaving Bones hollow and cold without his contact. He reached up to take the cloth from her face, raising it gently over her forehead and allowing one hand to linger on her cheek. He stroked it gently before taking his hand away, not ungluing his eyes from hers for a second. Sadness was once again apparent there; he could tell from the deep shade her eyes had become. They were like misty clouds obscuring her soul from his view. What was causing this sadness and how could he take it away?

Noticing that his intense gaze was causing her to become self conscious, he quickly turned away while simultaneously clearing his throat. By stepping back, he allowed Bones to see where exactly she had been taken.

It was a large expanse of land with a quaint little cottage off in one corner and a small field right next to it. It looked like something out of a fairy tale; everything was lush and green, the cottage was covered in large stones with ivy sprawling all around it, and a soft breeze was causing the few pine trees bordering the north to sway as if waving hello. Bones could hardly help but gasp at the sight.

"Booth, what is this place?"

"Well, it's mine, or at least it will be mine someday. It used to be my grandfather's farm, but he died a couple of years ago. He left the farm to my father and one day it will be mine." He said wistfully, dreaming of what he would one day do with this little haven.

Bones remained silent; she was not able to form a coherent thought. Booth turned towards her, but noticing the effect this place was having on her, he decided to take this opportunity to gaze upon the view in silence, if just for a moment.

Her inquisitive mind finally overcoming her awe, Bones asked, "But if you dad lives in Pennsylvania, who takes care of this place? I mean that field is growing something, so somebody has to be taking care of it."

"I take care of it sometimes on the weekends and my dad hires some help periodically throughout the year to make sure the place hasn't completely gotten out of hand." He looked at her again, grinning as he recognized the expression on her face- the one that she used only when she was thinking about something really hard.

"See, this place used to be a lot bigger, but when my grandpa got too old to take care of it, he sold about seventy percent of his land. The only thing he kept was a small field of strawberries, his favorite food. He never sold them. He would just come out here on a sunny day and eat them. I used to love coming out here as a kid, eating strawberries, running around with my brothers."

Bones was shocked. How had she never noticed his absence or for that matter the occasional sunburn he had on Monday mornings? Did she ever ask him about his weekends, at least the ones he didn't spend with her? Did she ever ask about his family? He was the one who had reunited her with her own family, and yet she never even thought about the relationship he had with his. She felt so heartless.

"I'm sorry I never asked you about your family." Bones blurted out.

Booth noticing her anguished face, softened his features, and lightheartedly, as if almost shrugging it off, said, "It's alright. I don't really talk to them very much anymore. They didn't really approve of Rebecca and I having Parker out of wedlock."

"You should try talking to them. Maybe, they've changed their mind." Bones said gently, as she reached for his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. She hoped that she was giving him the comfort and advice that he so often gave her.

"You're right." He said, smiling at her faintly, and squeezing her hand back.

"Anyways, I like coming out here because it reminds me of the good times. I think it's my favorite place in the whole world." He said distantly, thinking about all the happy memories.

"Have you ever brought Parker out here?" Bones asked.

"No, no. I've never brought anyone out here. In fact, no one even knows about it besides my family."

"Then why am I here?" Bones asked curiously, slightly taken aback by the knowledge that she was the only one outside his family that had ever been there.

"Because there is no one I'd rather share this place with then you." Booth said simply.

Bones smiled sadly. Those types of omissions used to scare her; now they just made her despondent. After Zack's betrayal and Booth's almost death, she had realized how much Booth was a part of her life. He had changed her completely, taking her from a cold, detached rationalist to a woman she would have hardly recognized as herself, a woman who showed emotion, a woman who tried to connect with others, a woman who understood not everything in life was rational. Before Booth's death, it had scared her that she had let herself become so attached, and anytime he said something that reminded her of their closeness, a little bit of her shrank back. When Booth died, Bones tried to distance her old self from her new self. She tried to leave behind all the parts that were him. But what she became also scared her; she was a cold and bitter woman who was uncaring and caustic. She didn't like who she was without him. After he came back and Zack was gone, she realized she needed him; she couldn't live life without him, she couldn't be the woman she wanted to be without him. She knew that she loved him, and surprisingly, that was the not a scary feeling at all. In fact, this realization in many ways made her happy. Before, she was too afraid to be open, afraid that this would make her vulnerable, allowing her once again to get hurt. Now, because of Booth, she had become the woman she had wanted to be her entire life.

This happiness lasted until about two weeks ago when she realized something else. As much as Booth cared about her, Bones wasn't sure he was in love with her. All of his little acts and declarations could be simply chalked up to his alpha male tendencies and their strong friendship. And even if he did love her, he was a man of honor and values; he would not enter into a relationship with a woman who didn't want to get married, have kids, and believe in God. There also was the issue of the line, a line that Bones knew he would never cross. He was far too much of a professional to put their successful partnership in jeopardy. She was faced with a conundrum. When he pulled her close, she was happy and whole, but when he pulled away, she was reminded of what would never be, leaving her with an emptiness she could not escape. His touch, his words, it all was bittersweet. With this realization, Bones soon became depressed. She knew being upset about something she couldn't change wasn't rational, but she also knew that love was irrational. There are things in this world that just can't be compartmentalized and love is one of them. However, Bones tried her best to let it go, hoping the pain would go away soon. She wanted to be with Booth, even if it only meant being his friend.

Realizing Booth was staring at her, she managed to muster up a thank you. She was glad that he cared enough about her to take her to the place, and she was thankful that he had convinced her to come away for her birthday.

"Come on" said Booth. "I made us a lunch."

They walked slowly to the field, enjoying the cool breeze flowing through their hair, allowing whatever troubles that were lying within them to be taken away by the wind.

After Booth collected all of the picnic supplies from within the house and laid a blanket in between two of the rows in the strawberry field, they feasted on cold chicken, baked rolls, a nice bottle of wine, and all the ripe strawberries surrounding them. They chit-chatted mindlessly, all the while just enjoying each other's company.

When Booth had finished his second glass of wine, he laid back on the blanket, placing both hands behind his head, just gazing at the clear blue sky. It was so seldom this shade, a shade that reminded him so much of her eyes. But in reality, nothing could compare to that beauty. Suddenly, he felt her lay down beside him, placing her head on his chest, right where the bullet had pierced his skin. Slowly, he took one of his arms from behind his head and wrapped it snuggly around her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. He couldn't believe it, but she actually leaned into his hold. Growing more confident, he allowed his fingers to trail lazily up and down her arm. She sighed contently and closed her eyes, hoping this feeling would never go away.

Booth let his mind wander once again, although this time, his thoughts were occupied by happier musings. He could see them there, years from now, perhaps having another picnic, the sounds of little children echoing across the field. He knew she had said she never wanted children, but after seeing her with Andy, he knew she would change her mind. After all, she had changed her mind several times before. He smiled widely, thinking of the life that they would hopefully have together someday. This was the happiest moment of his life.

Bones relaxed in Booth's arms, allowing herself to take pleasure in the moment, even though she knew it would most likely cause her greater pain later. She concentrated instead on the steady rise and fall of his broad chest. Feeling him breath in and out reminded her of how thankful she was that he was alive. She needed him more than she ever knew. Opening her eyes, she saw Booth smile to himself.

"What are you thinking about?" She laughed lightly.

"Nothing." He said teasingly before turning her way. Their eyes locked- hers filled with a fiery passion, his filled with bright amusement which quickly turned to softness. He realized that she wanted this. How could he have been so blind before? He leaned forward, rejoicing that the fire in her eyes was not faltering, but then quickly pulled away, turning his head and breathing in deeply. He was scared; he had tiptoed to the edge, but he couldn't take the plunge. What was wrong with him? She wanted it, didn't she? He just couldn't be sure and he needed to be because he couldn't live without her. As her turned back to see her reaction, he saw a wave of disappointment wash over her face before it melted back to its normal cool façade. He had screwed up, but he would make it up to her before the day was through.

"You ready for another surprise?" He asked as he stood up and offered her his hand.

"There's more?" She asked hesitantly, grabbing his hand with apprehensions.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, "you'll love it."

They headed to the back of the cottage, his arm slung lazily around her shoulder, the bounce in his step clearly palpable. She sighed in relief when she saw the rusty old swing set, its seats making little creaking noises as the wind pushed them back and forth.

"See Bones, nothing too exciting. What do you say? Want to swing for a bit?" He said excitedly whilst rubbing his hands together.

"Sure." She said brightly, trying to match Booth's enthusiasm. She still was a little upset about their near kiss.

As she sat down in the worn seat, she thought back to the last time she had swung on a swing set. It had been her birthday, the last one before her parents disappeared. She remembered feeling so carefree, not yet touched by the horror that her life was about to become. She was jolted back into reality when Booth's warm hand once again caught the small of her back; he was always the one who kept her from drowning in her past. He gave her something to live for, a future.

He pushed her gently for a few minutes and then jumped onto the seat next to her, looking like a five year old boy who had just wandered into a candy shop.

"Do you like to swing Bones?" He asked as he pumped his legs to get himself higher.

"I used to. Russ and I used to go to the park by my house when I was little. One day we were playing this game, the one where you swing really high and then jump off. He broke his arm. I didn't know what to do; I was only five." She said bitter sweetly.

"When we got to the house, all my parents could do was laugh. That made me feel better. I knew then that Russ would be okay."

"That's a nice story Bones." Booth said sincerely. He loved when she talked about her family; when she did, she became the real Temperance Brennan, the one he loved so much.

He pumped his legs harder and harder, getting as high as he possibly could. He knew what he was about to do and he hoped that she wouldn't shoot him for it. He jumped from the swing set, purposefully landing on his back and feigning an injury. He stifled a grin when he heard Bones' audible gasp and managed to turn it into a contorted grimace before she kneeled down beside him.

"Are you okay?" She said, her voice trembling with concern.

"I am now." He said, grinning playfully, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" She said rather agitatedly.

"I did." He said simply, pulling her head towards his. He pressed his lips against hers softly, feeling the electricity travel down his spine and marveling at how such a simple kiss could be laced with such intensity and need. She tasted like ripe, juicy strawberries, just like heaven. He broke away lightly, not wanting to be over eager; after all, they had a lifetime for that. She smiled brightly, tears glistening in her eyes.

While tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and tracing his thumb along her jaw line, he asked, "Why have you been so sad lately?"

She laughed lightly at his anxiety; now there was no need to worry about that.

"I just thought you would never cross that damn line!" She said exasperatedly, grinning all the while.

He grinned back, but became more serious as their eyes locked again.

"I love you Bones." He whispered earnestly.

"I love you too." She whispered back before their lips met again, this time in a more passionate exchange.

Slowly, Bones resumed her position by Booth's side, laying her head on his chest. Booth was wrong; this was the happiest moment of his life.

They were once again on their backs on this clear autumn day, but this time instead of looking to the sky, Booth looked at her eyes, and what he saw was love.

_The sky could be blue_

_I don't mind_

_Without you it's a waste of time_

Hope the story was worth the wait! Please review and tell me how I am doing! :D


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